France bans abayas in schools – level 2

France bans abayas in schools

01-09-2023 07:00

The French government banned abaya, a loose robe that some Muslim women wear, in state schools.

This follows a 2004 ban on religious symbols to support secularism. Education Minister Gabriel Attal said that the ban was important because more students started to wear religious clothes. The conservative right and school principals welcomed the ban, but many other people criticized it. Some people believe that it will lead to changing behavior towards the Muslims.

This ban reminds people of previous bans on headscarves and veils, which caused a lot of tension within the Muslim community.

Difficult words: secularism (when religion and state are not connected), veil (a piece of clothing which covers the face), tension (when someone feels nervous or angry).

You can watch the original video in the Level 3 section.

What potential implications could the ban on abaya have for the Muslim community in France?

LEARN 3000 WORDS with NEWS IN LEVELS

News in Levels is designed to teach you 3000 words in English. Please follow the instructions
below.

How to improve your English with News in Levels: 

Test

  1. Do the test at Test Languages.
  2. Go to your level. Go to Level 1 if you know 1-1000 words. Go to Level 2 if you know 1000-2000 words. Go to Level 3 if you know 2000-3000 words.

Reading

  1. Read two news articles every day.
  2. Read the news articles from the day before and check if you remember all new words.

Listening

  1. Listen to the news from today and read the text at the same time.
  2. Listen to the news from today without reading the text.

Writing

  1. Answer the question under today’s news and write the answer in the comments.

Speaking

  1. Choose one person from the Skype section.
  2. Talk with this person. You can answer questions from Speak in Levels.

 

Stock images by Depositphotos